Ahead of Rakshabandhan, a group of old-aged widows of Vrindavan have designed rakhis for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the annual ritual.
One of the women carrying the handmade rakhi featuring PM Modi's face. (ANI)
The specially designed handmade rakhis to be dispatched from the temple town of western Uttar Pradesh also feature the prime minister’s face on them.
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Sulabh NGO that works with these widows has been training and assisting them for over a decade to learn different skills.
“The organisation has been working for the widows of Vrindavan, Varanasi and Uttarakhand for the last 10 years. They have been taught a lot of skills, including the skill of making Rakhi,” said the Vice President of Sulabh International Social Service Organization.
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These women living in ashrams of Varanasi have been making rakhis for the prime minister for years now. However, they have not been able to meet with the PM in person for the past two years due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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These women living in ashrams of Varanasi have been making rakhis for the prime minister for years now. However, they have not been able to meet with the PM in person for the past two years due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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Vrindavan is home to about 10,000 widows, most of them impoverished and illiterate who usually find their way to the holy city of northern India after being shunned by their families.
Indian sociologist and founder of Sulabh International, Bindeshwar Pathak’s organisation works for the emancipation of these women, living on the periphery of society’s vision, to help them lead a decent life.
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